Category: Americana

Friday Brings Our Big Folk Music EP, Henley & Frey’s Swan Song, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris, December 22, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! Are we in the Christmas spirit yet? We’ll make your day better with our big folk music EP, the final airing of Don Henley & Glen Frey and Emmylou Harris bring up the rear.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Yes, citizens, the music that helped spread social justice and consciousness. You’ll hear Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and many more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Don Henley & Glen Frey FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to Don Henley and Glen Frey today, the musical songwriting genius behind The Eagles.

8:00 p.m.  Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band Live at Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA, August 8, 1986

Emmylou Harris has traveled the world both assembling great bands and joining others. This time she’s on stage with Byrds founding member Chris Hillman and his Desert Rose Band.

We’re getting closer to both the weekend and the Christmas holiday! What better way to take the edge off than with great music. Hell, here we are. Give yourself a Christmas gift. It won’t cost you a penny.

Folk Music Extravaganza!

Friday Brings The Magnolia Sisters, Jesse Winchester and a Christine McVie Spotlight, December 15, 2023

We’ve got some great music for you today, including The Magnolia Sisters whom you probably won’t hear anywhere else unless you’re in New Orleans. But we have all their music here in The Mermaid Lounge. Today’s other two artists you, of course, should know.

Here’s today’s musical mayhem:

11:00 a.m. The Magnolia Sisters Live at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans, LA, July 27, 2021 NEW!

I love New Orleans; it’s a hotbed of musical styles and innovation and you can hear all of it right on the streets every day. What we have here is an all-woman Cajun/Zydeco band from Lafayette, Louisiana, populated by Ann Savoy, Jane Vidrine, Anya Burgess, and Lisa Trahan. They play the full gamut of the musical style from dancehall Cajun to primitive Creole to a cappella. The first time I ever heard them, they knocked me out and I was hooked. Maybe you will be too.

3:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jesse Winchester FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Jesse Winchester’s singer-songwriter focus today, although I promise that all of his music is in our general rotation every day.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

We close our programming tonight with the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac (sorry, Stevie), the late, great Christine McVie. We include not only her Fleetwood Mac songs, but her early blues work with Chicken Shack and her solo work.

It’s officially Friday, the end of the work week (for some lucky people who don’t work retail). Tomorrow, you’re officially ‘weekenders’ here in The Mermaid Lounge! We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, and we do not air commercial advertising. What could be better?

Just Push Play.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Our Chicago Blues EP, Elvis Presley, and Jimmy Reed In The Spotlight, November 14, 2023

It’s a bluesy kind of day here. I’m back on the floor in retail hell, unfortunately. And The Music Mermaid is holding down the fort here.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues:Various Artists

It’s the blues from the Windy City with Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Elvis Presley by Elvis Presley

Elvis is back with his debut album. (By the way, we did give you the expanded edition of this album.) This is undoubtedly our favorite time for Elvis music, when he was immersed in the Nashville and Sun sessions.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Jimmy Reed

This is a full Chicago blues day, as the great Mr. Reed was also in our Chicago blues EP today. Jimmy Reed was born in Mississippi in 1925 to a sharecropper family. He was a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who was active from the 1940’s up until 1976, when he passed at the age of 50. His guitar style attraced both blues audiences and non-blues audiences.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a great day to tune us in, folks. It’s blues programming all day with our big, wide Open Stream in between. Give it a try. You need no money or credit cards. And we do not interrupt the music with commercial advertising.

Tuesday Bluesday!

Heading Toward the Weekend With the ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Tom Rush, and Sir Paul McCartney, Thursday, November 2, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! We are in great company here as we roll along toward the weekend.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

There are topics, and then there are topics. There are loads of songs about life on the road and traveling in general. We’ve got them today with Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Doors, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Joan Baez, The Traveling Wilburys, Asleep at The Wheel, Mudcrutch, Loggins & Messina, Buffalo Springfield, Tom Rush, The Guess Who, Ray Charles, Marshall Tucker Band, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Merrimack County by Tom Rush

We’re winding down on this great album, so get in on it while you can. The final airing will be on Saturday, time TBD.

7:00 p.m. Paul McCartney Live at Citi Field, New York, NY, July 17-21, 2009

Tonight we close the programming with Macca recorded live at Citi Field in New York City. I never got the chance to see The Beatles live, leaving a musical hole in my life. However, I did get to see Sir Paul at Fenway Park in Boston and it was everything it was cracked up to be and then some. Tonight we have his New York performance from 2009.

We’re getting closer now. The weekend is on the horizon. And we’ve got some great new music coming up in November, including an expansion of our general rotation and some of our older playlists. Stand by.

Just Push Play, People.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With The Allman Brothers Band, Roomful of Blues and Tom Rush’s AOW in Between, October 31, 2023

Good morning, Bluesologists! We close out the month of October with a Tuesday Bluesday on tap, and that is a fitting way to exit the month.

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Allman Brothers Band Live at A & R Studios, New York, NY, August 26, 1971

The brothers get together at A & R studios for a live session, and we’ve got it here to start your programming day.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Merrimack County by Tom Rush

It’s fitting that Tom Rush is this the owner of this week’s AOW because Tom Rush just happens to be a hell of a blues artist in addition to being a folk artist.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Roomful of Blues

Roomful of Blues is in its sixth decade making some of the most innovative blues music on the planet. Check it out for yourself tonight!

Tuesday Bluesday is always a great day to get a flavor for what we are. In the hours between all the great blues, you’ll hear rock, rock n’ roll, reggae, folk, Americana, country, country-rock and more (just no rap, hip hop or disco). See for yourself.

Tuesday Bluesday!

It’s Simply Sunday With Tom Rush’s “Merrimack County” and Volume Two of Our Sixties Rotation, October 29, 2023

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to another simple Sunday here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’re light on programming today but have plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s Sunday’s musical lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Merrimack County by Tom Rush NEW

One of my favorite albums of all time (his ninth) with my favorite Tom Rush song ever in Kids These Days. Rush is rightfully called a pioneer of the singer-songwriter genre. His interpretations put plenty of them on the map, including Joni Mitchell. In addition to that, he has managed a solo singing career that has spanned sixty years. A New England born and bred favorite.

3:00 p.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We take you back to the sixties again for some mid-to-late decade sounds with The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Elvis Presley, The Box Tops, The Doors, Marvin Gaye, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimmy Cliff, Velvet Underground and more!

Come on. You know you want to give us a shot. So, just do it. It is not going to cost you a penny and it’s not a free trial. We’re anti-capitalists who air our music for free 24/7 with no commercial interruption. Just do it.

Just Do It. Will Ya?

It’s Simply Sunday in The Lounge with Steve Winwood and Our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ Multi-Artist EP, October 22, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! As you know, we keep Sunday’s simple here in The Mermaid Lounge and today is no exception. Steve Winwood owns our AOW and we follow that up with our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ multi-artist EP.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Roll With It by Steve Winwood NEW!

Steve Winwood is a legend in these here parts. He spent his early musical years in the Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith and Traffic before embarking on a successful solo career. I saw him live at what was then called The Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts, many years ago out in the open air and it was a fantastic show. This was Winwood’s fifth solo studio album and it was his most commercially successful. It went to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and sold three million copies. It’s our Album of The Week.

3:00 p.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

We’ve got them all for you today, from the pioneers of the genre to those who pay homage to the genre. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Hearbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan Townes Van Zndt, Neil Young, The Carter Family and more!

We are workin’ it here all day in The Mermaid Lounge. The Music Mermaid has the situation in complete control and is ready to roll. It’s a beautiful fall day here in the Boston area. This is undoubtedly my favorite time of year. Time to kick back and take it in. Who knows what the climate’s future status will take.

Folk Music From A-To-Z

It’s Simply Sunday With Emmylou Harris’ “Duets” as Our New Album of the Week and the ‘Color My World’ EP, October 8, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! Sundays are simple here in The Lounge, and this one is no exception. Only two programmed slots and plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Duets by Emmylou Harris NEW!

This is one of those fun albums that is made after many years in the business. Most of these songs have appeared on other of Harris’ albums or on her singing partner’s albums. (Linda Ronstadt has also made a Duets album and we will feature hers next week.) Helping Emmylou out this week are Don Williams, John Denver, Willie Nelson, The Desert Rose Band, George Jones, Gram Parsons, Roy Orbison and others. Enjoy.

2:00 p.m. Color My World: Various Artists

Colors in songs are nothing new and we’ve got quite a collection here with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Donovan, Booker T. & The MG’s, Electric Light Orchestra, Procol Harum, Joni Mitchell, The Who, Amy Winehouse, Sam & Dave, Badfinger, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, Linda Ronstadt and more!

That’s it for the day! Before, in between and after, we’ve got our big, wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid. She keeps things humming here in The Lounge. We don’t complicate things here. Just push the button below. The only that will happen is you’ll hear music.

Sunday Funday!

We Have New ‘Live” Music by The Band, Bob Marley as Our Singer-Songwriter and Our ‘Foodies Only’ Playlist, Friday, October 6, 2023

Good morning, weekenders! We are now just one day away as we start out the day with a brand new-to-the-station performance by The Band. We move on from there!

Here’s Friday’s lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Band Live at The Academy of Music, New York, NY, December 28-31, 1971 NEW!

Another great performance by a great band from day one recorded during The Band’s December 1971 one-week residency at New York’s Academy of Music. It includes songs from a New Year’s Eve performance featuring guest Bob Dylan. Not to be missed.

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Bob Marley FINAL AIRING!

Bob Marley takes his final turn as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. Tomorrow we’ll introduce a brand new artist to you.

8:00 p.m. Foodies Only: Various Artists

Although this is not an ‘EP’ songs about food are also a popular topic in music. I’m sure if we worked hard at this one we could turn it into an EP. But for now, you’ll hear Steely Dan, The Beatles, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Box Tops, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Mongo Santamaria, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Neil Young, The Strangeloves, The Four Tops, Judy Collins, Van Morrison, The Guess Who and more!

We’ve got one more day to go before the weekend is in full force, people. This is a great time to give us a listen. We’ve got a great weekend of music lined up, and we run 24/7, not just when we have set programs. We’re totally free of charge and we run no commercial advertising. Ever.

Welcome Weekenders!

We Start Out ‘In Your Dreams’ Today, Move On to Rosanne Cash, Then Bob Marley is Our Singer-Songwriter, Saturday, September 30, 2023

We close out the month in style today with our ‘In Your Dreams’ EP, then we bid a fond farwell to a great album and introduce Bob Marley as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your musical lineup for today:

9:00 a.m. In Your Dreams: Various Artists

Dreaming is one of the top five most popular subjects for our EP series. You’ll hear the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Aerosmith, Crowded House, the Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Eurythmics, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Nanci Griffith, the Electric Prunes, Fleetwood Mac, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Mamas & The Papas, Jimmy Buffett, the Alan Parsons Project, the Allman Brothers Band, Supertramp, Randy Newman, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Widespread Panic, The Youngbloods, Jimmy Ruffin, Jackson Browne, Mudcrutch, Patsy Cline, Joe Walsh, Bruce Springsteen, k.d. lang, Dusty Springfield and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: The River & The Thread by Rosanne Cash FINAL AIRING!

Today we say goodbye to a great album from Rosanne Cash, who will make a return run as one of our featured singer-songwriters soon-ish. Tomorrow we’ll introduce another album.

8:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Bob Marley NEW!

A true pioneer in bringing Reggae to the world, Bob Marley combined the best elements of Reggae, Ska and Rocksteady with his visionary singing and songwriting style to put Reggae music front and center on the world stage. Today he becomes our featured singer-songwriter.

Come on. Admit it. You want to tune us in but you just haven’t found the time. Well, we can’t help you there. But when you do find the time, you won’t be disappointed. Let’s just leave it at that.

In Your Dreams